Rob Falken started a manufacturing business when he was 17 based on his love of surfing: a surfboard wax company. It was successful, but it wasn’t environmentally friendly. He realized he wanted to devote his life’s work to inventing products that would help heal the environment.

“To be perfectly honest, it was only after doing things the wrong way and living a non-sustainable lifestyle that I became educated enough to see the error of my ways,” he says. “As the wax business exploded in growth, I witnessed firsthand that what I was doing worked well, but it hurt the environment in a multitude of ways. … I swore to myself that I was going to spend the rest of my life inventing materials and products that had a demonstrable benefit to the environment and/or human health.”

Falken, who lives in Carlsbad with his wife and 4-year-old son, took some time to talk about why algae is an environmental problem, the approach he takes with his work to help solve problems through the various products his companies make and his unique ability to write with his toes.

Q: How did BLOOM get started?

A: BLOOM was initially started by an idea that I had for producing algae into flexible foams. Several early phase companies in the market had already started down the path of making bioplastics out of algae, and I said if they can make a plastic out of it, then I can make a foam from the same. The company was founded in 2015 and it exists to solve an environmental nightmare: algae blooms are clogging waterways worldwide and we remove the offending material and make it functional as a sustainable product offering.

Q: What makes algae an “environmental nightmare”?

A: Algae are some of the oldest living organisms on this planet and their co-habitation with humans is nothing new. When we speak of an environmental crisis caused by algae, we are really speaking about a man-made crisis. Algae — and in our case, blue-green algae, specifically — feast on man-made nutrient inputs to waterways such as phosphorus and nitrogen. These compounds act as fertilizers that feed the algae’s massive expansion. The overabundance of nutrients finds their way into rivers, lakes, canals, and other complex marine environments from agriculture runoff, septic systems overflow, and even from the fertilizers that you use on your lawn. The real nightmare starts when the algae blooms into massive blankets that cover the water’s surface. It’s during this stage that the algae can soak up the available oxygen that effectively suffocates all living creatures in the water. These types of events are not uncommon, and they’re responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars of loss to the fishing tourism, and real estate industry nationally every year.

Q: What is an algae bloom?

A: Algae are single celled organisms that can double in size every 17 to 24 hours. It’s this rapid growth rate — the fastest of any plant matter in the world — that causes what’s known as an algal bloom. “Blooms” can be defined as the rapid release of algae in a water system. Essentially, the algae explode into vast swaths of metaphorical liquid carpet that coat several inches of the water column and block sunlight to everything below the water’s surface. It’s this explosive growth which can and does get out of control very quickly in water bodies all over the world.

What I love about Carlsbad ...

I’m blessed to live in a very community-oriented cul-de-sac in a safe part of town. It’s like “Cheers” — everybody knows your name.

Q: What is the process for harvesting algae?

A: Our company is vertically integrated, which means we do everything ourselves, “soup to nuts.” The process begins by mobilizing our harvesting units to affected waterways and sucking the algae/nutrients out with what looks like a giant vacuum. The algae is then flocculated (floated) to the top of a large tank where an automated skimmer pushes the liquid algae into a separate holding tank. The remaining water is then filtered and returned to habitat, extremely pure. From there the algae is carted away … and dried at our processing facility before being crushed into a powder. The powder is then forced through an extrusion machine with a carrier resin, which yields a plastic. The plastic is then foamed by conventional means to make high-performance slabs of foam, which are then sliced to thickness and sold to customers all over the world.

Q: What kinds of products does your company make from algae?

A: My company manufactures flexible foams from wild harvested algae biomass only — we never lab-grow or genetically engineer algae in any way. The foam replaces the stuff you find in running shoes, yoga mats, sporting goods, and anywhere else flexible foam products are used, which is everywhere.

Q: What are your biggest sellers?

A: In collaboration with 11-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater, we’re selling the foam grips that surfers use on their surfboards for traction. These have been flying off the shelves all over the world.

Q: Why are environmentalism and sustainability so important to you?

A: We live on a planet with finite resources, yet we collectively plunder our natural gifts en masse to the point of near extinction. With something like 7 billion people on this planet now, and billions more to come, we’re going to have to create innovate solutions to better sustain the health and happiness of the human race before it’s too late. That is to say, I’d like to think that I see the big picture and I want to do something about it using the skills that I have.

Q: What are the three patents you’ve been granted?

A: I’m a material developer and inventor by trade with a very broad interest range and set of skills. … The patents that I hold are for things like compostable crayons that grow into plants, Kevlar-reinforced surfboard leashes with significantly improved breaking strength over conventional, and I have a pending allowance on the algae-derived foams. Additionally, I have over 20 other utility and international patents in process and more on the way. There’s everything from cosmetic grooming devices to waterless dyed fabric, and a new method of making popcorn from something quite unique. Crazy stuff.

Q: What’s been challenging about your environmental work with transforming algae?

A: The hardest part is to maintain the rapid growth trajectory of our organization while trying to also tackle national and international environmental crisis situations that keep popping up. Sometimes you’re working with your company-owned factory in China (where there’s an enormous algae problem) late into the night or coordinating a team of R&D scientists to put a hot new project on the front burner. Simply put, you can only grow as fast as your ability to get the right people on the “bus” and then get them working effectively together.

Q: What’s been rewarding about it?

A: Everything. I get to have a relatively large amount of creative freedom while tackling a complex global issue. This opportunity has allowed me to make a living doing what I love and supports my growing family.

Q: What has this work taught you about yourself?

A: It sounds like a line, but in truth, this work has further solidified my belief that I can achieve anything that I put my mind to. As such, I continue to follow my instincts and let my life experiences guide my decision-making process.

Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

A: “Go on the results.” It was a statement meant to confirm that one’s measure of success can be defined by the results of their efforts and actions.

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

A: That I can write quite efficiently with my toes.

Q: Describe your ideal San Diego weekend.

A: Going to Cardiff Reef in Cardiff-by-the-Sea with my family, friends, and their kids. We let all the kids run wild and slow things down to a crawl in order to soak in the time.